Difference between revisions of "Liamist States Empire"

Revision as of 07:46, 18 February 2005

Liamist States Empire

Flag of Liamist States Empire
Motto: Capitalism stole my virginity...and I liked it!
(None)
Region	The Tableland
Capital	City de Liam
Official Language(s)	Liamist
Leader	(unofficial) Liam
Population	over 3.3 Billion
Currency	Ch-ching
NS Sunset XML

The Liamist States Empire (or LSE. An archaic term. Commonwealth or Federation would be more appropriate) contains three independent nations. In the past, it was larger at thirteen nations but many of these served little to no purpose and was reabsorbed back into the Liamist States. The Empire is responsible for over 5.5 billion citizens, a Gross Imperial Product of $180 trillion and has a collectively unique culture.

Nations

The Liamist States itself is divided into districts for administrative ease, which in turn, are divided into twelve cantons, which are divided into 200 locales of equal numbers of people. Liamopolis and Liamton are divided into eighteen cantons and have no districts. More information is given below.

Liamist States

The Liamist States is the largest (over 3 billion in population), most important (almost the entire government is centralised here) and economically powerful (over $115 trillion in GDP and home to the best of the best in each industry) nation in the empire. It could easily be said that money is at the heart of the Liamist States. But actually, one man is at the centre: Liam.

Liam is seemingly immortal man. Shortly after the Liamist States' districts coalesced into the Liamist States proper as a Holy Empire, Liam was in power as Pope. A revolution soon swept through the nation, ending the theocracy and establishing a Kingdom, with, somewhat miraculously, Liam as King. The Kingdom lasted for a millenium, seeing in a short-lived Dark Ages that most nations would call an Enlightenment, followed by a long period known as the Golden Age I, where with stability, the culture flourished, free from war, and the Kingdom was finally brought to an end by the Reformation, a series of technological advances and riots led to the democratisation of the Liamist States and a second Golden Age (II). Liam was still not disposed of. He went on to become an unofficial demi-god advisor for the government. In this capacity, he was responsible for the authoring of the Constitution that protected civil rights, the Urban revolution and established Liam & Co, a massive company free from monopoly laws so as to provide an yardstick for other corporations and stability for consumers. He was also responsible for the establishment of a disastrous ambassadorial program that went no where and the abysmal failure of Class Separation States (see Adali, Fairbank, Gradburg and Trenport). Despite this, he still holds this unofficial office and no one seems too concerned about changing it.

He holds civil rights, small efficient government and economic power dear and tends to reject religion and defence needs. The environment (which is actually a portfolio conglomeration of environmental, artistic, sporting and technological needs) sucks away a lot of the budget, as does education and, in smaller quantities, health, social welfare and, occasionally, social equality, law & order and commerce. The citizens of the LS are amongst some of the happiest, healthiest, smartest and generally free people in the world.

The Liamist States, due to its enormous size, is divided into six districts:

City de Liam

• % of national population in district: 24%
• Contribution to GDP: 10%
• Predominant economic class: Lower-Middle & Upper-Middle
• Level of Urbanisation: Mega

The Capital of the Liamist States and where Liam calls home. The district that pioneered the MegaUrban culture. Formerly an independent kingdom but after frequent riots, due to a general life that many considered too hard, it was reabsorbed back into the greater Cybercracy. The governmental head of the nation and the Empire. Public service is where most of the citizens are employed. Features the famous Capital and Vice District cantons and is home to the seasonal MarmaCups.

Adali

• % of national population in district: 8%
• Contribution to GDP: 4%
• Predominant economic class: Agarian
• Level of Urbanisation: Mainly rural, some Urban

A mainly rural setting, notable for its religious ferverence. Was an independent state where anyone with too much of a religious devotion was placed, free from persecution from moderates and atheists but also unable to annoy them. Inefficient towns are predominant but since its reabsorption, Urban culture is permeating. Well known for its Fanatical Marmadukes, one of the most popular breeds with international FMR teams.

Fairbank

• % of national population in district: 14%
• Contribution to GDP: 60%
• Predominant economic class: Upper
• Level of Urbanisation: Mega

Fairbank is a fairly similar district to City de Liam but where the politicians and middle class ends there, business takes over here. This is home to many of the nations most prestigious companies, including Liam & Co. It’s known for the CBD, Centrale and Vice District (a smaller version of the City de Liam VD) cantons. It was a special state used as a corporate haven but after excessive ‘’Jennifer Government’’-style abuses was brought back into line with reabsorption. Used as the venue for the Liamist States FMR grand prix.

Gradburg

• % of national population in district: 12%
• Contribution to GDP: 15%
• Predominant economic class: Working
• Level of Urbanisation: Super

Communism was a powerful political force for the major part of the Urban revolution, however, a destabilising one. To prevent a major insurrection, the Communists were given their own land, named Gradburg. Here they created a massive industrial estate. Eventually communism died out as a philosophy and Gradburg was invaded by corporate interests. The government decided it was a good idea to absorb them again.

Trenport

• % of national population in district: 28%
• Contribution to GDP: 2%
• Predominant economic class: Low
• Level of Urbanisation: SubUrban

Trenport was the fifth now reabsorbed nation and was essentially a giant housing estate for the unemployable or poor people who needed a helping hand. As a result, lots of people live there, the vastly underappreciated people who fill in the crap jobs no one else wants to do. Stevedores also make up a large percentage of the population: Trenport is the largest port in the LS. Plans to Urbanize the area continue but no one seems willing to put up the Ch-Chings.

Greater Liamist States

• % of national population in district: 14%
• Contribution to GDP: 9%
• Predominant economic class: Middle
• Level of Urbanisation: Super, heading toward Mega

Area of Liamist States that is not the other regions. Sparsely populated with only seven major cantons (Mayfair, York, Sheffield, Alexandra, Canterbury, Reading & Greenington) that, unlike the other Districts, do not form a huge metro-morass but are several independent cities with wide, scenic spaces in between. When the ambassadorial nations of the empire were closed down, the infrastructure was moved here. So, in amongst the native cantons, there are what locals call the foreign cantons: Liamburg, Liamshire, Liamistan, Liam Island and Liamograd. The GLS was recently renovated with MegaUrban technology, making cities smaller, density higher and pollution a thing of the past. Contains the Lost Marmaduke Forests, a 2 star Tableland regional wonder.

Liamopolis

As far as power within the Empire goes, Liamopolis is about on par with a district of the Liamist States, despite being on average having twice as many people. However, it is particularly important as it provides a link from the Liamist States to nations outside of The Tableland (for the moment, it is stationed in Ile de France). Trade and diplomacy flows through here and back home, thus justifying its existence.

Liamopolis is a coastal nation that hosts its own FMR grand prix. Famous landmarks include the Rio Liamo, a beautiful cerulean river that forms the southern border of Liamopolis, and the cantons of Old Liamopolis, a canton where almost every building is over 300 years old and designed with traditional Liamist archectecture, Liam Islington, an island in the Rio Liamo that is famous as a resort town and a tourist hotspot, The Beaches, a magnificent series of beaches that line the west coast and the Vice District, a hub of prostitutes, drug dealers/pharmacists and gambling. Other cantons include Capital, Downtown, Centrale, Whitehall, Pentonville, Trafalgar, Alexander, The Hills, The Spit, The Streets and The Plains. Liamopolis is considered to be a SuperUrban nation, even though the Capital, Downtown, Centrale and Vice are MegaUrbanised. Much of the land is a single developed metropolis with what is leftover is simply rolling green hills.

Liamopolis was originally just another GLS city but it was selected and moved to an external region for ambassadorial purposes and as a birthday gift for Liam's son, Liam II (rumours fly wildly around about how Liam II was conceived. Some involve various Tableland leaders, others cloning). Liam II adopted Prince as his title and ran Liamopolis as a dictatorship but adhered fairly strictly to the ideals Liam set forth. Liamopolis recently adopted Cybercracy as its nation type, replacing the Principality, as Liam II works on democratising the nation and following his father's footsteps.

Liamton

Liamton serves roughly the same purpose as Liamopolis but in The Exodus region. In fact, diplomacy has gone so well, Liamton is responsible for several projects (failures but initiated nonetheless) in The Exodus and has been elected to the regional Senate. Unlike Liamopolis, Liamton is run by a combination of Liam (unofficially, of course) and a native Liamtonian government, in a setup similar to that of the Liamist States. The nation is marginally more MegaUrbanised, and is classified in said category with City de Liam and Fairbank.

Liamton, like Liamopolis, is also on the coast but on the coast of the east The Exodus continent. The Marmaduke Falls, a major Liamtonian landmark, attracts visitors from across NationStates. As the smooth water slides down from the Minor Marmaduke River onto the rocks, if you use your imagination, one can see shapes of Marmadukes in the spray. This is near the canton of Parkington, known for its tropical rainforest surrounds where Marmadukes frolic freely. Parkington is one of the northern central cantons of the metropolis of Liamton. Liamton has twelve cantons, the innermost are on the banks Major Marmaduke River in the middle of the country, which include the standard Centrale, Vice District, Capital and Downtown. Liamton also features a MegaUrbanised Chinatown, the Empire's organised crime hub, and an Australaville, a mostly SubUrban canton that is known for its coal power plants (the only non-nuclear plants in the Empire) and abuse of space. Other cantons include Oxford, Glastonbury, Cambridge, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The non-developed parts of Liamton are mostly rainforests and open savannah plains, all in their natural state.

Government

Constitution

The Constitution simply outlines a list of rights, in order of importance, that are inherent to all citizens, residents and immigrants to the Liamist States over the age of sixteen and of sound mental health (a Liamist. Special rights apply for young teens, children and intellectually impaired). It begins with a preamble, describing the nature of the document, its historical context, the Liamists affirmation of the document and their establishment of sovereignty as people, and concludes with an outline for the Cybercracy (and its purpose as a legislating, right-protecting, non-limiting body) and procedure for amending the Constitution. It very clearly states that no right may be subverted by the government, unless it is for the purpose of securing a higher right.

Below is a list of the Liamist rights, in order of importance:

1. A Liamist has the right to waive any of the following rights.
2. A Liamist has the right to safety from direct physical harm.
3. A Liamist has the right to self determination in existence, body, lifestyle, sexuality and cultural persuasion.
4. A Liamist has the right to a transparent and incorruptible government.
5. A Liamist has the right to determination in any ruling body.
6. A Liamist has the right to a free, quality and unbiased education.
7. A Liamist has the right to a free, quality and effective health system.
8. A Liamist has the right to a complete, healthy and unaffected environment.
9. A Liamist who cannot work has the right to expect society’s support.
10. A Liamist has the right to freedom of movement.
11. A Liamist has the right to freedom of speech.
12. A Liamist has the right to freedom from political-, gender-, sexuality-, religious- and ethnic-based discrimination.
13. A Liamist has the right to privacy (freedom from harassment, freedom from scrutiny and the rights to the dissemination of their personal details).
14. A Liamist has the right to be considered innocent of a crime, until proven guilty.
15. A Liamist has the right to a fair determination of his/her innocence or guilt when they are tried for a crime.
16. A Liamist has the right to a fair punishment for their crime, even if it includes the removal of rights.
17. A Liamist has the right to freedom of assembly.
18. A Liamist has the right to freedom of media expression.
19. A Liamist has the right to freedom of artistic expression.
20. A Liamist has the right to not be exploited, particularly commercially.
21. A Liamist has the right to own property and generate as much wealth as they want.
22. A Liamist has the right to a competitive market that respects the consumer's right to know anything about a purchase.
23. A Liamist has the right to freedom of religion.

An amendment to the Constitution requires a petition (as submitted by a citizen to the Liamist States Democratic Organisation or LSDO) of 7% of the population. If 66% of the population approves of the amendment, it is added to the Constitution.

This Constitution is adopted by all indepedent nations of the LSE.

Cybercracy

Government

The Liamist States has three main branches of government.

1. Firstly, there is a representative body collectively called the House of Representatives. It contains the Cabinet and the Canton, District and Federal Assemblies.
2. Secondly, there is the countering body, collectively called the Counterweight, which contains the Criminal, Business, Dispute and Constitutional Courts (as controlled by the Minister for Internal Affairs) and the Anti Commissions (as run by the Prime Minister), which are run by the colloquially known ‘’Idealist Ministers’’.
3. Finally, there is the legislative body, known as the Senate.

As explained above, the Liamist States Empire is divided into Locales of approximately equal numbers of people. In each Locale, a Localee is preferentially elected as an executive leader and representative of that Locale. Around 200 of these Localees convene to form a Canton Assembly. Each Canton elects its Cantonee separately who serves in a similar role as the Localee for the Locale. The eighteen Cantonees for Liamopolis and Liamton come together to form the Federal Assembly or in the Liamist States, the twelve Cantonees form a District Assembly. A Districtee is elected in each district to represent that District at the Federal Assembly. This is the representative arm of the government. All Localees, Cantonees and Districtees must be politically independent and have no affiliations to parties, lobby groups, interested parties or corporations or the LSDO. Localees have the power to override any Senate legislation with a simple majority within their Locale, if they judge it to be for the best of the Locale. This forms one half of the House of Representatives, the other being the Cabinet.

The Cabinet is a federal body that consists of directly elected Ministers. Below are the current Ministries:

• Prime Minister (Anti Commissions)
• Treasurer (Taxes, Budget)
• Minister for Internal Affairs (Courts)
• Minister for External Affairs (Foreign Ambassadors)
• Minister for Internal Security (Police)
• Minister for External Security (Defence, Intelligence)
• Minister for Fiscal Security (Welfare)
• Minister for Education
• Minister for Health
• Minister for EAST (Environment, Arts, Science & Technology)
• Minister for Social Justice (Ending poverty, unemployment & abuse)

Ministers may have affiliations to any group and may be members of a political party. The Prime Minister’s job is to run the Anti Commissions (which include the Anti Corruption Commission, the Anti Monopoly Commission, the LSDO [nicknamed the Anti Tyranny Commission], etc). The Treasurer’s job is to set tax rates and dish out funds as per lobbying. Normal Ministers lobby for Treasury funds in the budget from the Treasurer. They work closely with Districtees/Cantonees to place projects and surplus funds the Ministries may be awarded. The Cantonees in turn distribute funds to Localees as per the project requirements through the Assembly. A good Districtee, Cantonee, Localee or Minister will get the most Ch-Chings possible for their respective electorate/Ministry.

A federal legislative body to set up laws that protect rights is also formed: the Senate. A federal Senate consists of LSDO registered political entities. Using a single-transferable vote system, voters can either allocate one to a favourite party and have preferences automatically selected or select all the parties, in order of preference. Parties are now like shareholders in a corporation: the higher the percentage of primary votes a party has, the more voting power a party has, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent. Scoring less than 0.1% rules the party ineligible for a voting power in the Senate and its votes will be re-distributed, according to preferences. Given the number of parties registered (registration is as easy as filling out a form but one citizen can only register one party), the number of <0.1% parties can be significant. Usually, a party will submit a spokesperson, often an actor or model, to submit legislation, debate and vote on behalf of the party’s stake. If a proposal raises more than 51% (simple majority) of the Senate’s vote, it will be law until the end of the Senate term. It can be federally overridden by a Constitutional Court, if a case is brought before it or locally overridden by a Localee and when a new Senate is elected, it will need to be repassed. If a proposal raises more than 66% (double majority) of the Senate’s vote, the law is permanent or cannot be overridden, until the Senate overturns the law again.

To remove any government official, 2% of the electorate must register with the LSDO on a petition to the effect of the impeachment (5% is required for dissolution of the Senate or the overturning of a double majority Senate law). If quorum is ever reached (a registration expires after three months and the person must re-register), it goes to a vote in the electorate. If 51% vote in favour of impeachment, a new executive is elected and serves the remainder of the term. Less than a full 51% and the current executive continues to serve. This is the system for any Constitutional amendment but requires a double majority.

Liam and Liam II's genetics links and links to governments, provide the only government crossover in the Liamist States Empire.

Economy

Currency

Corporations

Anti-Monopolies & Liam & Co

Tax

Culture

Urbanism

Urbanism is the prevailing social thought in the Liamist States. It involves the abolition of small localities in favour of establising large metropolises. This more of a general social movement than any governmental program, policy or legislation. Benefits are mostly related to environmental factors but some social benefits are also apparent. Environmentally, electricity is centralised and so power is saved via a lack of line resistance. Public transport is almost compulsory, as taxes on private vehicles are astronomical. Combine these with advances in recycling, heat retension, conduction and conversion to electricity, pollution control and restrictive zoning for industrial manufacturing, increasingly efficient water strategies and the hydroponification in agriculture and the increasing nuclearisation of energy production, means that the Liamist States Empire is almost heat, water and carbon neutral. Socially, due to the melting pot and lax immigration laws, racism is a thing of the past. Teenagers are also not a problem, having adequate entertainment and not having to turn to substance abuse or undereducated unsafe sex.

Urbanism became popular toward the end of the Reformation. Technological advances had made an Urban lifestyle an efficient and environmentally conscious choice. People flocked to the cities in ever greater numbers and abandoned the little towns. The mass humanity feel was contrasted with open spaced archetecture to prevent a feeling of oppression. Liamists were soon reveling in their own culture which has led to the Liamists becoming one of the most culturally proud peoples in NationStates.

There are six stages of Urbanisation:

• Rural (eg: Adali) - Very low population density. Dwellings are hundreds of kilometres apart. Inefficient facility reproductions.
• Fringal - Low population density. Dwellings on acreage and hundreds of metres apart. Some local commercial development present. Combination of Rural and SubUrban.
• SubUrban (eg: Trenport) - Low population density. Dwellings metres apart. Local commercial development present. Some facility sharing.
• Urban - Medium population density. Dwellings stacked to several stories. Local commercial develpoment is usually a part of dwellings. Public transport (usually an electric bus system that runs along train lines or EBS) integrated underneath developments.
• SuperUrban (eg: Liamopolis) - High population density. Dwellings stacked to tens of stories. Roads closed to cars, pedestrian only. Long distance travel is reliant on EBS. Water extensively recycled. Buildings further apart, releasing the sense of oppression and are integrated with greenery to beautify the canton or city.
• MegaUrban (eg: City de Liam) - Very high population density. Dwellings are in skyscraper form. Pedestrians walk on roads for short distance travel. Heading down to moving walkways on a subterrean level for medium distance travel and use the EBS (famous for running a bus every two minutes along a line) for long distance.

Environment & Marmadukes

Sport

Sport is as large a part of Liamist culture as the artistic side is. But its not just humans who take part. Marmaduke, the national animals of the LSE, sports are just as important and usually score higher ratings on TV. Here are some of the more popular sports.

Human

• Soccer/Football

Probably no human sport is known better than football, or soccer, as it is known in the Liamist States. Football is a ball game played between two teams of 11 players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. A goal results when the ball passes over the goal line between the goalposts and under the crossbar. Football is played predominantly with the feet, but players may use any part of their body except their hands and arms to propel the ball. The goalkeeper is the only member of the team allowed to handle the ball in the field of play.

Football is played at a professional level all over the LSE and millions of people regularly go to a football stadium to follow their home team, whilst millions more avidly watch the game on television. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. Professionals play for clubs which are subsidiaries of the Liamist Football Association (LFA) in one of three levels of play: Premier League, Major League and Minor League (top three club in the bottom two leagues are promoted up and the bottom three in the upper two leagues are relegated). In the Liamist Club Cup, all clubs get a go at each other regardless of League. The best Liamist players are selected to play for the Marmadukes, the national football side. Usually a canton has a club or two. Some of the best known clubs in the Liamist States are:

• Adali Fanatical (star/s: Marcel Hignight)
• Alexandra (star/s: Jackson Eaks, Thomas McQuary)
• Canerbury (star/s: Armand Iziary)
• CDL United (star/s: Hal Bell)
• City de Liam (star/s: Mi Rainford Jr)
• East Trenport (star/s:Alvaro Wiggen)
• Fairbank CBD (star/s: Nolan Dueck)
• Fairbank Centrale (star/s: Darius Wisher)
• Fairbank Vice (star/s: Moises Cratic)
• Gradburg North (star/s: Byron Paskell)
• LS Town (star/s: Quinton Delley)
• Mayfair (star/s:Rod Manoni, Fidel Wanhywe)
• Sheffield (star/s: Dane Abiatell)
• Trenport City (star/s: Marlin Smoots)
• York (star/s: Son Defino)

The Liamist States recently entered the Pre-WC21 Baptism of Fire and will enter their first World Cup, hoping to become regular fixtures.

• Rugby

Unlike in other nations, rugby in the Liamist States actually refers to a reconciled and altered version of rugby league and rugby union. Distinctive features of rugby include the ovoid ball and the ban on passing the ball forwards, so that players can gain ground only by running with the ball or by kicking it. The game runs much faster than league but is more ordered than union. There are ten players a side, to encourage attacking, and when a player is tackled, the ball is placed where the tackle took place and play continues until the team has been tackled five times on which a turnover is given. Scoring occurs by achieving either a try or a goal. A try involves grounding the ball over the goal line at the opponents' end of the field, giving the scorers five points. A goal results from kicking the ball over the crossbar between the upright goalposts. Three different types of kick at goal can score points: the goal kick after a try has been awarded, which if successful becomes a conversion (for two points), the penalty kick (for two points) and the field goal, kicked while in play (for three points). Kicking is allowed but the kicking side must be behind the kicker. If not and the ball is infringed on or kicking side players touch the ball, results in a penalty. A ball that lands out will see a pass in from the sideline for the opposing side. If its out on the full, the opposing side gets a pass in parallel to the where the kick was taken. These are but a handful of the rules. Because of the nature of the game (full bodily contact with little or no padding), the rugby world frowns on unsporting behaviour, since even a slight infringement of the rules may lead to serious injury or even death. As such, the Liamist Rugby Association (LRA) enforce the rules strictly.

• Handball

• Formula Human Racing

• Liamist Games

Marmaduke

• Superpolo

Superpolo™ is the ultimate in team sports. It combines aspects of soccer, handball, water polo and rugby into one fast paced, action-packed extravaganza. The field changes constantly between ice, land, water, underwater and air. The aim of the game is to get the ball into the back of the net. Its played in a giant plastic rectangular prism, set in the middle of a stadium.

Each quarter, a randomly selected medium is chosen to play in. This means that the first quarter may be aerial, using AG (anti-gravity) packs attached to the Marmadukes, but the second quarter may be underwater with the Marmadukes using standard issue Oxygenators®. There is no standard order and once a medium is used, it may be used again in the same match - its random. To score a goal, a Marmaduke must get the ball in the back of the net, past the goalkeeper. They can carry the ball as far as they can and can use whatever body part they wish to propel the ball but must not use any other instruments. Team with the most goals wins.

While domestic Superpolo leagues exist, they are of diminished importance next to the new international setup.

• Formula Marmaduke Racing

Formula Marmaduke Racing™ (FMR) is the future of motor sport in NationStates. It used to be that we took a small furry-feathery animal, strapped it into a superpowered small race car-like vehicle and let it loose to conquer the FMR world. Those days are gone. FMR is now much more sophisticated.

A FMR grand prix covers about 900 km and usually provides some spectacular vistas across the varied nations that it is held in. The race is divided into four legs, each designed to be about an hour long. They are 2 wheeler (motorbike), 4 wheeler (race car), 0 wheeler (anti-gravity racer) and R wheeler (rally), from which a driver will change vehicles three times in a single race in an effort to complete it. The simple aim of a FMR GP is to cover the 900 race kilometres as quickly as possible. This usually involves avoiding accidents with other drivers and man-made barriers.

FMR was a totally Liamist-only zone but is now completely international.

• Athletion

The Athletion™ is the Marmaduke sports equivalent of the Olympics. We put the best amateur Marmadukes of the world to an arduous test of their respective skills. Over one weekend of solid, intense international competition, the [MSA] gives out sixty-five gold medals in sixteen disciplines, including the infamous Athletion itself - the ultimate competition that takes athletes and tests them over every single individual discipline. Disciplines include running, throwing, swimming, skating, fencing and gymnastics.

The Athletion was a totally Liamist-only zone but is now completely international.

Art

Technology

Due to the nature of the Liamist States grants to the scientific community, technology is moderately advanced compared to the so-called “Real World” standard.

Advances have been made in:

• Carbon recycling: Almost any form of carbon can have the carbon extracted and reused in another form. This is especially true of garbage and carbon monoxide and dioxide.
• Water recycling: In the Liamist States, it rains, ends up in a dam or a stormwater drain, is cleaned, used in a shower or sink, re-piped through to the toilet, piped back out, cleaned and reused. If there's an oversupply of rain water, the black water is used over the natural resource stocks, which are merely released into the environment when dams are over capacity.
• Heat recycling: Sources of extreme heat energy, nuclear power plants, industrial areas, etc, are wrapped in a piezoelectric plastic wrap that absorbs heat and radiation. The energy is retained and conducted to a converter that takes the heat/radiation and changes it into electricity, which is then pumped into the general grid. Power plants are then run at partial production as the system feeds on itself.
• Nuclear Waste recycling: It has recently been made possible to synthesise Uranium-238 from nuclear waste. The remaining waste is, of course, useless. It has no carbon, water, heat or radioactive properties and cannot be recycled further. It is, however, a powerful solvent and has industrial and home applications.
• Fundamental Forces: Liamists have mastered the electroweak and gravity forces but not strong nuclear. This means that pro- and anti-gravity applications are common (in building supports and transport) and electromagnetism and weak nuclear forces are conquered, resulting in micronucleics and anti-mag fields. Fusion will be possible when Strong Nuclear is inevitably mastered and is considered the missing link in unifying gravity and electroweak forces. Some breakthroughs in this field are top secret.
• Civil engineering: Advances in civil engineering make buildings in the hundred of stories. 300, 600 or even 1200 metre tall buildings exist. The tallest Liamist States building is 1, 512m high.
• Robotics: Robot labour has almost entirely displaced human labour across the Liamist States. Robots are still supervised on farms and in factories but are saving humans a lot of time.
• Acoustics & Imaging: Some of the most sensitive phonics and high resolution imaging equipment are found in the Liamist States, giving them a supreme edge in espionage. Just about any detail can be seen on a face and anything above a conversational whisper can be heard by a Liamist satellite in at a height of 100 km.
• Oxygenators: Runs a sample of water through complete electrolysis and provides oxygen from the water around. Fits in a Marmadukes mouth.
• Hydroponics: The main reason why agriculture is dying. Superior fruits and vegetables can be produced in a relatively small space, when compared to inefficient agriculture with relatively little labour and water.

The Liamist States has not made a great deal of progress militarily. No weapons beyond nuclear projectiles and very limited space military capabilities, although space exploration and utilisation is well underway for the Liamist States Space Agency (LSSA).

Military

The military is not a regularly maintained part of the Liamist States Empire infrastructure. During times of war, the administration budget and any government waste is stripped for funds and is pumped into the state-owned defence company. Any fired admin workers are picked up by the military and in combination with the draft (most citizens consider it an honour), a defence force is formed.

Tradition

The military of the Liamist States has never been particularly important. Particularly, given that the Liamist States has never in engaged in battle, outside of a fictious setting, and only has ever taken up arms when angered internationally and was soon then pacified. The Liamist States Military always has its equipment supplied by one of only a handful of nationalised corporations in the country, Liamist Defence Corporation (LDC). See below for military class and makes, manufactured by the LDC.

When the Liamists are taken to taking up arms, it is usually led by the elite transport troops (soldiers on Pegasuses and Vipers), led by a Major. Occasionally, greater forces are called upon and anyone over eighteen and under forty years of age can be drafted, unless they have a good excuse not to. Troops are organised in armies of a million personnel (referred to as the First Million, Second Million, etc, down to, usually not exceeding, the Twelfth Million). Led by a General, this is broken down into one hundred brigades of ten thousand personnel. A Brigade is led by a Colonel, who in turn has his/her brigade broken into one hundred Centuries, led by a Major. This one hundred person unit is broken down into two fifty person Sections, led by a Lieutenant. A Section is broken down into five Groups of ten, led by a Sargent. From the formation of the Million, soldiers stay within their Group and are trained by that Sargent. Fleets are organised less regimentally than the ground forces and more by need and the air force is organised by its landing strip, usually an aircraft carrier.

The military observes but a few traditions, mostly due to the laidback and egalitarian nature of Liam and his spawned nation. Saluting is out. Military uniforms usually consist of a polo shirt (red for aerial, blue for navy and green for ground), long brown cargo pants and combat boots. Insignia badges are worn on the collar. A superior officer is often referred to as sir, regardless of sex and only out of politeness more than any strict regulation. Officers are rarely treated in a manner better than the enlisted and would not have it any other way. Women are not as prominent within the military as men, consisting of only 30% of the total armed forces and are allowed to fight on the front line. High fitness is, of course, maintained by the military and is unusually demanding for anyone wishing to become part of a transport crew. The typical bullying and humiliation from fellow soldiers and officers experienced in many other armies, is not an issue in the Liamist States.

Chain of Command

The chain of command is very important. Orders come from above and go below. Since there are no defined separate forces, jurdistiction of command is just as important. Individual Transports and the coordination of the deploys are under Ground command and Naval and Aerial personnel must accomodate their plans. Aircraft deploys and the coordination thereof are under Aerial command and must be accomodated by Naval and Ground personnel. Cooperation is incredibly important.

• Overall

• Overall Military Command: Commander (currently Mi Rainford)

• Naval

1. Overall Naval Command: Sea Marshall (currently Tiana Foulke)
2. Fleet Command: Fleet Admiral
3. Aircraft Carrier Command: Admiral
4. Submarine/Battlecruiser Command: Captain (1st Class)
5. Destroyers/Frigate Command: Captain (2nd Class)
6. Section Head: Leuitenant
7. Group Head: Petty Officer
8. Regular Sailor: Deckman

• Aerial

1. Overall Aerial Command: Air Marshall (currently Anissa Ciocca)
2. Aircraft Carrier Aircraft Command: General
3. Transport/Nuclear Bomber Command: Major
4. Bomber/Fighter/Combo Command: Captain
5. Gunner/Section Head: Leuitenant
6. Group Head: Warrant Officer
7. Regular Flightman: Flightman

• Ground

1. Overall Ground Command: Ground Marshall (currently Dallas Besson)
2. Million Command: General
3. Frigate/Aircraft Carrirer Troop/Brigade Command: Colonel
4. Transport/Century Command: Major
5. Gunner/Section Head: Leuitenant
6. Group Head: Sargent
7. Regular Troop: Private

Ships

Liamist Defence Corporation produces seven different types of ships:

• Leviathan Battlecruiser (750 personnel): Specifically designed for anti-ship or anti-aircraft attacks, bad manoeuvrability, powerful
• Serpent Battlecruiser (750 personnel): Designed to provide long-range cover for deployed ground troops, much more compact gun platform for coastal bombardment
• Raider Destroyer (400 personnel): Small, powerful, manouverable, ship escort, slow
• Anaconda Frigate (100 personnel): Light defensive capabilities to provide cover for deployed transports, fast, carries 24 transports.
• Viper Transport (14 personnel): Carries 12 ground troops, 1 ship gunner, 1 pilot. Designed to hit shallow water and drop troops.
• Marmaduke Aircraft Carriers (1000 personnel): Carries up to 90 aircraft. No attack or defensive capabilities. Slow.
• Liamist Aircraft Carriers (1500 personnel): Carries up to 150 aircraft. No attack or defensive capabilities. Slow.

Ships are often used in combination with each other to form fleets and come under the command of the Sea Marshall. When freight (nicknamed Atlas) and medical, engineering and robotics support (nicknamed Apollo) ships are required, they are contracted from civilians.

Aircraft

Liamist Defence Corporation produces six different types of aircraft:

• Tiger Fighters (1 personnel) - Only able to fight other planes, used for anti-bomber attacks, supersonic.
• Lion Combos (2 personnel) - Capable of bombing and fighting, mid-range, subsonic.
• Hurricane Bomber (2 personnel) - Supersonic, stealth, heavy, designed for land targets
• Cyclone Bomber (2 personnel) - Capable of decent flight over water, short-range bomber, designed for naval targets
• Typhoon Bomber (2 personnel) - Nuclear bomber, mid-range, supersonic, can level a CBD in a coastal city
• Pegasus Tranport (14 personnel) - Troop transport and deploy chopper. Carries 12 ground troops, 1 ship gunner, 1 pilot. For long range deploys.

Aircraft are often used in combination with aircraft carriers and are under the command of the Air Marshall.

Submarines

Liamist Defence Corporation produces three different types of submarine:

• Spear class (100 personnel) - Underwater ICBM platform. Has no other attack or defensive capabilities. Small and fast.
• Hunter class (250 personnel) - Medium sized and speed sub designed for search and destroy missions against enemy ships and subs. Strong attack.
• Shield class (250 personnel) - Large sized and slow speed sub designed for escort and defensive work. Strong defence.

Submarines are often used in combination with naval fleets and are under the command of the Sea Marshall.

External Links

• Liamist States on NationStates
• Liamopolis on NationStates
• Liamton on NationStates
• Liamist States Economic Statistics
• Liamopolis Economic Statistics
• Liamton Economic Statistics
• Liamst States Empire Atlas
• Marmaduke Sports Association